Legal Definitions - public injury

A public injury refers to a harm or wrong that affects the community, society, or the general public, rather than solely impacting a single individual. It involves a violation of rights or interests that are shared by many, often leading to collective detriment or a disruption of public order and well-being.

Here are some examples illustrating a public injury:

• Example 1: Environmental Pollution

  A large industrial plant illegally discharges untreated wastewater into a major river, contaminating the water supply for several downstream cities and harming aquatic ecosystems. This is a public injury because the pollution affects the health and safety of thousands of residents who rely on the river for drinking water and recreation, damages shared natural resources, and disrupts the environmental balance that benefits the entire community.

• Example 2: Widespread Consumer Fraud

  A telemarketing company operates a sophisticated scam that defrauds thousands of elderly citizens across multiple states by selling them non-existent or worthless products. This constitutes a public injury because the fraudulent scheme not only harms individual victims financially but also erodes public trust in commerce, preys on vulnerable segments of society, and undermines the integrity of the marketplace, affecting the collective economic security and confidence of the public.

• Example 3: Negligent Public Safety Hazard

  A city's public works department fails to properly maintain a critical bridge, despite repeated warnings about structural integrity issues. Eventually, the bridge partially collapses, causing significant traffic disruptions, economic losses for local businesses due to inaccessible routes, and endangering commuters. This is a public injury because the negligence impacts the safety and convenience of all citizens who use the bridge, disrupts essential public infrastructure, and causes widespread economic and social inconvenience to the entire community.